The Dark Academy
by WtftasticStories
Summary: Lord Voldemort is hard at work raising the numbers of the Death Eaters, and has founded his own school, forcing both unschooled orphaned and adopted wizards as well as normal wizards. Takes place between Books 6 and 7. Review and critique welcomed!


Chapter 1

Voldemort stood quietly at the window of the small room watching the gray sky and fields bellow fill with snowflakes. The house, and indeed this room, had been recently "evacuated" by the muggles who had called it home earlier. The snow falls outside only added to the grim, yet pure atmosphere of the newly reclaimed house.

It was a home, but not one for the pitiful muggles who had resided there before. Not by right at least. The ancient halls, and out buildings of this estate once belonged to Salazar Slytherin. He was his rightful heir, and fully intended to reclaim his birthright from any muggle or wizard stupid enough to defy him. Slowly, he lifted a thin spider-like hand, and touched one of the garish wall hangings the previous occupants had left. Its presence was a disgusting reminder of how long this building had tolerated the touch of muggle inhabitants and their tasteless furnishings. The "daughter" of the recently departed muggle family that had resided here, had been kind enough to give them a tour, and had explained that this room had been left empty since the family moved in. It was supposedly haunted. The skinny and sickly looking child stood behind him, trembling. He turned to face her, "Do you know why I killed those people who called themselves your parents?"

She looked at the ground, and then looked up at him, shaking her head "No". He draped the corner of the fabric he had been idly playing with over its curtain rod again, and turned to face her. "Your parents have kept you from your place in Hogwarts. Six years of valuable education and learning that you could have received are now gone. They forced you to live a pointless existence, one of menial labour, pointless schooling, and you aren't even really their daughter."

She stared at him, "I know."

The Dark Lord questioningly raised an eyebrow, "Then why lower yourself to such a pointless level of existence?" She began to reply, but he motioned for her to be silent again. "It matters not at this point, we will see to your education." He motioned to Lucius, and turned toward the window outside.

It had begun to snow again, this time with a passion. He watched as Lucius practically dragged the little wretch across the yard. At the end of the walk, she was falling over. He frowned and made a mental note to have the house elves feed her as soon as possible. He wanted her, and the rest of the small select group of Death Eaters to be ready.

The plan had been originally to teach the sons and daughters of Death Eaters the Dark Arts and magic far away from the prying eyes of Dumbledore, and the rest of the wizarding world. The academy that the Dark Lord hoped to form would be one of intense discipline, unwavering faithfulness to him, and academic prestige. Not to mention it would be the basis for breeding new generations of Death Eaters, and hopefully a resource for finding the bride he would need to sire an heir.

The discovery of many adopted, and indeed un-adopted orphans with magical prowess, had stirred a small part of the Dark Lord that he had believed long gone. He had decided to take decisive action, liberating the often times troubled teens from their parents, and leaving the sign of the Dark Mark as a reminder to other parents, and to Dumbledore, for forgetting these students. What was Dumbledore's loss would be his gain. His school would be filled with those who were abandoned by the wizarding world as he had been, and those who would shape it irrevocably.

He grinned to himself, and to his majestic surroundings. The knowledge that what he was creating and accomplishing here would bring about the downfall of Albus Dumbledore and the Potter boy was simply too sweet to be contained inside himself. He let out a quiet laugh, and then hissed to Nagini. She arrived slowly, and hissed back at her friend and master. 'What is your bidding my master?'

Voldemort smiled and hissed his reply back slowly, savoring the words, 'Tell Severus that his time at Hogwarts is up, and that his time at the Academy, is just beginning.'


End file.
